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Sevika felt, rather than heard, the door to the Last Drop fall shut behind her before the onslaught of smells, sounds, and lights within the bar truly hit her. It was late in the evening; the band had already played itself into a frenzy, and people had pushed some tables to the side to make room for dancing.
The new guy was wiping down the bar. Sevika liked him. He was a no-nonsense man with a deep voice that could bring the worst drunken fools to reason and arms strong enough to throw them out by the scruff of their necks if they wouldn’t comply. Vander, she remembered, as she walked up to the bar.
“There she is!” His thick eyebrows jumped as he grinned at her. “What can I get you?”
“A beer, please.”
“Pint?”
“You got it.”
She knocked on the bar appreciatively and watched Vander pour her beer. He was about her age, but she’d somehow never seen him before he started working here.
“Can I ask you something?”
Vander put the pint in front of her and braced his hands on the counter.
“Sure.”
“Where did you work before this?”
He sighed and picked up a towel, beginning to dry some freshly washed glasses.
“The mines.”
Sevika hummed and took a sip of her beer.
“Glad to be up here now?”
Vander chuckled, his face overcome with a bittersweet expression.
“Yeah. Got my partner out too. I just wish I could’ve taken everyone up with me.”
“I get it. I’m glad you’re up here now. We needed a new face around here.” Sevika tried for a smile and was glad to see it mirrored on Vander’s face.
He stopped his movements and cocked his head.
“You know what?”
Reaching up, he pulled two nice tumblers and a bottle of orange liquor from a top shelf. He poured both of them two fingers, then slid Sevika one of the glasses.
“I’m glad too. Nice to already have a friend up here.”
They shared a look of understanding as they clinked glasses. The liquor was strong, stronger than what Sevika was used to, but it tasted better than she’d expected. She hummed appreciatively.
“This is nice.”
Vander just topped her up generously. A group of new customers came up to the bar—women from the lanes, apparently finished with work for the night. Sevika knew a few of them, and one immediately spotted her, sauntering over like a cat on her way to the cream bowl.
“Hi there. Haven’t seen you in a while.”
She ran her fingers down Sevika’s shoulder, crowding her in against the bar.
“Hi, beautiful.” Sevika’s voice was still a little rough from the drink, and the woman’s smile deepened.
“Buy me a drink?”
Sevika swiveled her head to look at Vander, who had followed the interaction with a bemused smile. She raised her eyebrows, and he shook his head, grinning. Had it really taken him this long to understand her inclinations?
“We’ll be having…” Sevika began and looked at the woman next to her.
“Red wine,” her companion supplied with a flutter of her lashes.
“I’ll bring you a bottle in a minute,” Vander replied, nodding toward the small crowd beginning to form behind them.
Sevika nodded and led the group to a table that had just freed up. She had always loved the company of the fissure folk, especially the women from the Gardens and other similar establishments. They always knew the newest gossip, had hilarious stories to tell, and were a riot on a night out. The physical comforts they bestowed upon Sevika from time to time—both for her company and for always taking good care of them—were a nice addition. They were a tightly knit group, loyal and honest, but there were no strings or attachments, and Sevika saw them as good friends.
The night went on, interspersed by more wine from the bar, even louder music, and two small scrambles that Vander promptly put a stop to. When Sevika approached the bar for a fourth—or was it a fifth?—bottle, she was already swaying slightly, but in high spirits and even considering asking the girls to dance soon. Or maybe she’d find someone new to dance with. Maybe there was someone else left to meet tonight. Suddenly, Sevika felt like she was on the hunt. She chuckled to herself. This night was still very young.
As she waited for Vander, who was tied up in conversation at the other end of the bar, she noticed a new figure sitting on a stool to her left. A thin, dark-haired woman with a pointed nose was hunched forward, scribbling in a notebook. A tumbler of the orange liquor from earlier was placed next to her hand. Sevika watched her carefully out of the corner of her eye. She usually went for the curvier, very feminine types, but she couldn’t deny the allure of androgynous women. This one looked especially mysterious. Mathematical calculations after midnight? At the Last Drop? Sevika rolled her eyes, almost losing her balance and holding onto the counter. Anyway, this person was begging to be noticed.
“You in the academy?”
Sevika slid closer. The woman looked up, annoyed, and just raised her eyebrows.
“Just wondering why someone as beautiful as you is sitting here this late working on equations. You should be having fun with the rest of us.”
Sevika licked her lips. The other woman still looked utterly confused. Sevika sighed.
“This is me saying I’d like to get to know this mysterious, beautiful, genius girl in front of me. Can I join you for another round of this stuff?”
She gave her a blinding smile, sliding onto the barstool next to her. The beautiful genius had been stunned into silence, apparently. Sevika turned to find Vander standing directly in front of her, his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.
“What?” Sevika shrugged. “Am I not allowed to hit on the patrons now?”
“Excuse me,” came a sharp voice from her left—a very deep voice. Sevika whipped around. The beautiful genius was fixing her with a lethal stare.
“Have you lost your mind? I’m a man. I’m not an academy student. I work here. And I am not a mysterious beautiful genius, certainly not to you!”
Sevika blinked a few times, hard. Her head was spinning. She turned to look at Vander. He was biting his lips, chest shaking with silent laughter. Looking back at the truly very androgynous man next to her, she almost flinched again.
“Sorry…” she stammered. “Uh… I didn’t. Didn’t.”
“Didn’t think? Didn’t see? Didn’t stop drinking at the point where your eyes and brain stopped connecting?” His finger came closer with every question, almost stabbing into her eye.
A roar of laughter made them both jump. Vander was holding his belly, leaning forward as he laughed heartily at their confusion and anger. They both sat stunned for a moment.
“Yes, you would find that funny,” came a hiss from Sevika’s left, which only made Vander break into a fit of giggles—giggles. Sevika worried she was losing her mind.
“I’m so sorry,” she repeated, keeping her eyes trained on the counter.
Vander finally came to his senses.
“Well. This is fun. Silco, this is Sevika. Sevika, this is my mysterious, beautiful, genius partner, Silco.”
They both eyed each other with mistrust.
“Oh, come off it,” Vander boomed. “No need for the theatrics.”
Silco tutted and took a swig of his drink, gritting his teeth. Wimp. Sevika shook her head.
“You can join us for a drink anyway,” Vander said amicably, filling two more glasses. “But this is the last one for you today, my friend. Can’t bear to have you on my conscience; I just started this job.”
He handed her a glass and clapped her shoulder, almost knocking her into Silco. Silco looked more and more like a cornered cat. Vander sighed.
“Come on. Peace.”
“Yes, yes.” Silco smoothly lifted his tumbler and fixed Sevika with his gaze again. “To peace.”
“Peace.” She suppressed a shudder.
Vander clinked his glass against both of theirs just as the band started a new song, one of Sevika’s favorites. She drained her liquor, suddenly feeling the overwhelming urge to get the upper hand again.
“Well. I’ll be on the dancefloor if you change your mind.”
She gave the slack-jawed Silco a smile, swiveled and slid off her barstool, feeling more than hearing Silco’s utter outrage behind her. Vander’s laugh overpowered his protests, and then Sevika was being pulled onto the dancefloor by her squealing friends. The night was still young.